What Jack Left Behind
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Jack left Kate with a parting gift. She struggles to deal with his death, and be a mother. Kate/Jack, set post "The End".


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Lost and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

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It's hard living without Jack, but Kate leans on Sawyer and Claire when they return home. Helping Claire take care of Aaron also helps.

Five weeks after getting off the island, Kate holds a positive pregnancy test in her hand and can't stop crying. "I wish you were here!" she screams into thin air. She doesn't know what to do next.

Claire goes with her to the ultrasound that Kate learns she's having twins. Kate laughs hysterically for about fifteen minutes because she can't believe this is happening.

"What are you going to name them?" Claire asks one day, seven months into Kate's pregnancy. Aaron is asleep on the couch next to them.

Kate shrugs. "I'm really not sure," she answers truthfully. She's elected to not find out the sex of the babies, and it's hard coming up with names.

Two months later, Sawyer is in town visiting when Kate goes into labor. He rushes her to the hospital when the contractions get closer together, and stays in the waiting room with Aaron and Clementine. Claire and Cassidy are in the delivery room.

After twenty-six hours of labor, Kate gives birth to two daughters. "You're both so beautiful," she whispers to the sleeping newborns. Both girls look so much like their father it hurts. Kate doesn't remember crying out for Jack a few times, and Claire and Cassidy will never tell her.

"What are their names?" questions an impatient Aaron once he's allowed to meet his new cousins. He's been excited for months about seeing them.

Kate laughs at him. "Aaron, I want you to meet Jacqueline Christina and Molly Elizabeth Austen-Shepherd." After thinking about it for a long time, Kate wanted to honor Jack somehow. And he had always talked about loving the name Molly when they had discussing having children after getting engaged. It was relatively easy to come up with names after that.

The first night the twins come home, Kate has a mini meltdown. Neither one of the babies will stop crying, which in turn is keeping everyone awake. "Come on, you two. You can be quiet for Mommy, can't you?" she pleads.

Neither of the girls answer, but they eventually calm down and Kate breathes a sigh of relief. She really needs Jack right now. Claire's helping out, but she's busy with Aaron.

Before anyone knows it, three years have passed. The Austen-Shepherd girls are about to start pre-school. "Mommy is so proud of you." Kate can't believe her daughters are starting school.

"I am excited." That comes from Lin, who hasn't shut up about school for months.

"Me too!" cries Molly. She couldn't sleep last night because she was so excited about school, which drove Kate crazy. She doesn't mind, though. This is what being a mother is all about.

"Aunt Claire will be picking you two up today, since I have to work late today. I'm sorry about that, little ones." Kate hates that she can't be there to pick up Lin and Molly from school.

"Love you, Mommy." Lin hugs her mother before going into the classroom.

"Love you too," chimes in Molly. The three year old also hugs her mother and rushes in after her sister.

Kate tries to hold back the tears. She can't believe her little girls are growing up so fast. It's then that her thoughts turn back to Jack, like they inevitably do. He would have wanted to be here today. Kate knows that Lin and Molly would be Daddy's Girls.

When Kate gets home from work in time for dinner, both Lin and Molly won't stop talking about their day. And this is what she loves about being a mother.

Several years go by. It's actually time for Lin and Molly's kindergarten graduation, which Kate is freaking out about just a little bit. The twins are growing up pretty quickly.

"Uncle James, do I look pretty?" asks Lin. Whenever he visits, Sawyer spoils the girls, Clementine, and Aaron rotten. Lin, Molly, and Clementine have him wrapped around their little fingers.

"Of course you do, Jackie. So does your sister." Sawyer's the only one allowed to call her Jackie for some reason. Kate doesn't understand why, since she hates that nickname most of the time.

"Thank you, Uncle James." That's from Molly, who giggles, comes over and hugs Sawyer. Then she rushes to go get Aaron. She loves hanging out with her cousin.

Sawyer, Claire, Kate, and Cassidy can't stop crying when Molly and Lin's names are called up to accept their little diplomas.

Before anyone knows it, the Austen-Shepherd girls are turning thirteen. No one can believe they're actually teenagers.

"Mom, we're teenagers now. You don't need to take so many pictures," Molly complains. She tries not to roll her eyes, because she knows that'll get her in trouble.

"I think it's cute that she wants to document our lives." Lin understands that her mother's doing this because she wants to, because this is her way of coping with her and Molly's father death.

Kate tells her daughters stories about Jack Shepherd, and they repeat now, but neither of the girls care about it. Both Molly and Lin love to talk about their father.

In fact, Molly is planning on following in his footsteps. She wants to be a doctor. However, she doesn't want to be a spinal surgeon. Lin, on the other hand, wants to be a teacher. Kate is thrilled with both their future career choices.

"Just deal with it, Miss Molly." Kate smiles and snaps another picture. She doesn't want to think about Jack, but can't help it. Molly and Lin still look so much like their father it surprises her sometimes.

Eventually, Molly does become a doctor. Doctor Molly Austen-Shepherd is a pediatrician at the local hospital. Lin has changed her mind about teaching, and has instead become a lawyer. Kate is still very proud of both her daughters.

At Molly's wedding, Kate meets her new son-in-law's boss – Rick Hallery. He's the same age as her, and the two hit it off. For the first time in thirty years, she thinks about dating. Claire has moved on from Charlie and remarried, but it's been hard for Kate. Sawyer has gone through a string of girls, but he never dates any blondes. They remind him of Juliet.

A year after they meet each other, Kate and Rick get married. They're both in their sixties, but neither one cares that they're getting married at their age. In fact, everyone is thrilled that Kate seems to be happy for the first time in a long time.

Kate soon becomes a grandmother, when Lin and her boyfriend welcome a son they name David Jack Maltise.

Forty years after marrying Rick, Kate dies in her sleep. Her two daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren mourn her loss, but are glad she had a long life.

And for the first time in over seventy years, Kate is reunited with the love of her life. She can't wait to tell Jack about their family.

It's been a long time since Kate and Jack saw each other, but it's like they pick right up where they left off.

Nothing will be able to ruin their happiness in the afterlife.

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**Author's Note**: I started out wanting Kate to a little boy (Or twins sons), but then I remembered what Locke said about Jack not having a son. Thus, he and Kate ended up with twin daughters! I'm still angry that David wasn't real, though! I loved him.


End file.
